Hey Cowboys,

Happy Thursday!

We’re kicking things off with the biggest stories, trends, and moves operators should have on their radar this week.

LIVE NOW — come hang out on X and YouTube.

Today’s lineup 👇 and stories.

Today we have a wide range of conversations from influencer to OOH to attribution. Let’s make your marketing more measurable.

More US brands are creating dedicated in-house roles focused entirely on TikTok Shop, moving the channel out of general social media teams and onto its own org chart.

Mammoth Brands is recruiting a head of TikTok Shop to set vision, strategy, and a multi-brand roadmap; Stila wants a TikTok Shop marketing manager focused on livestreams; BaubleBar is hiring a manager to oversee creator partnerships and promos.

Here’s the data:

Brands spent the last few years treating TikTok Shop as a side duty for social teams or outsourcing it to agencies. The shift to dedicated in-house hires signals the channel has graduated into a core revenue line, and the talent race to run it is officially on.

Shopify Turns Its Offices Into Sunday Founder Hubs - Shopify opens its Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa offices every Sunday for free, giving founders and solo builders five hours of focused time to work, demo, and connect. The 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. sessions are intentionally low-key, with no pitch nights or forced networking, just workspace, coffee, snacks, and other people building. Demand is so strong that weekly ticket drops sell out, with Toronto offering 275 spots and Montreal and Ottawa 180 each. The program has become a standout community play, showing how Shopify is turning its physical offices into recurring hubs for the next generation of builders.

Claire’s Reinvents Piercing Across 900 Stores - Claire’s is overhauling its piercing experience across 900 stores in the US and Canada, marking one of its biggest operational bets in decades. The retailer is combining more clinical standards with selfie-ready experiences designed to appeal to Gen Alpha, from medical-grade equipment and retraining to inspiration bars and selfie mirrors. Claire’s has already performed more than 131 million piercings over five decades, making the service one of its biggest competitive advantages. Now, it’s betting that a safer, more shareable experience can keep a new generation of girls coming through its doors.

Alix Earle Is Building a CPG Investment Empire - Creator and investor Alix Earle has added wellness brand Cymbiotika to a consumer portfolio spanning soda, cocktails, energy drinks, and supplements. Her first major bet, Poppi, was acquired by PepsiCo for $1.95 billion, while SipMargs landed a strategic investment from Sazerac and Gorgie has expanded from 863 Target stores to more than 15,000 locations. Cymbiotika has also grown from roughly $50 million in 2023 sales to $150 million in 2025. With four bets showing major growth or strategic validation, Earle is making a case that creators can be more than marketing channels: they can be serious CPG investors.

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→ Head to trendtrack.io. 

Ecomm Cowboy is the go-to live show for ecommerce operators, breaking down the latest DTC, retail, and AI news while interviewing the founders and executives building today's fastest-growing brands.

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Ecomm Cowboy Team